USASF 2011-13 Rules – Level 4 Changes

The USASF recently released the rules that will be used during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Spirit Post decided to list every change and give some insight into the impact each change will have. This article discusses the changes made to Level 4.

General Tumbling A

All tumbling must originate from and land on the performing surface. Exception: Tumbler may (without hip-over-head rotation) rebound from his/her feet into a stunt transition. Rebounding to a prone position in a stunt is allowed.

Example: Round off handspring and then a bump or contact from a base or bracer straight into a back flip would break this rule for levels 1-5. A clear separation from the tumbling to the stunt is needed to make this legal. Catching the rebound and then dipping to create the throw for the rotation is legal. This would also be true if coming from just a standing back handspring without the round off.

This rule change should have little impact because the actual rule didn’t change, but the example was added to further point out there needs to be a clear separation between tumbling and stunting, unless going into a stunt transition without head over hip rotation.

General Tumbling D

Assisted or connected tumbling is not allowed.

Clarification: Double cartwheels and double forward rolls are allowed because they will be interpreted as stunts, not assisted tumbling.The USASF Rules no longer restrict assisted tumbling. However, assisted tumbling may negatively affect your score at the Event Producer’s discretion. For Legality Judges, when an athlete supports another athlete above the performing surface, it is considered a stunt and ruled according to the appropriate level stunt rules.

Example: If an athlete in L4 receives a spot on a back tuck, this would be considered legal under L4 Stunt – Inversions.

Example 2: In L5 if 6 athletes did standing fulls, and 3 of them were spotted by other athletes, the judges should score only the 3 standing fulls and really give bad scores for 3 really bad inverted stunt.

This rule change should have some impact in Level 4. I don’t think this was done to encourage spotted back handsprings, tucks, and fulls, but instead to allow more stunt entries, transitions, and set outs, including some swing dance style moves and chorus line flips.

General Tumbling F

Jumps are not considered a tumbling skill from a legalities point of view. Therefore, if a jump skill is included in a tumbling pass, the jump will break up the pass.

Example: If an athlete in L4 were to do a round off – toe touch – back handspring – whip – layout, this would be considered illegal since consecutive a flip-flip combination is not allowed in Standing Tumbling for L4.

This rule should have some impact in Level 4. The example given explains it pretty well.

Standing Tumbling D

Jump skills are not allowed in immediate combination with a standing flip.

Clarification: Jumps connected to 3⁄4 front flips are also not allowed.

Clarification: Toe touch back handspring back tucks are allowed because the flip skill is not connected immediately after the jump skill.

This rule should have some impact in Level 4. The way to define running tumbling versus standing tumbling was once the direction the person was moving when they started, forward being running and backward being standing, leaving a hole in the rules for jumps to front flips in Levels 3 and 4. This rule closes that hole by clearly banning jumps to front tucks in Levels 3 and 4.

Stunts C

Twisting mounts and transitions:

1. To prep level and below are allowed up to 1-1⁄2 twisting rotations by the top person in relation to the performing surface.

Clarification: A twist performed with an additional turn by the bases performed in the same skill set, would be illegal if the resulting cumulative rotation of the top person exceeds 1-1⁄2 rotations.

2. To an extended position are allowed up to 1 twist and must meet the following conditions:

a. Extended skills up to 1⁄2 twist are allowed.

Clarification: Any additional turn performed by the bases in the same skill set would be illegal if the resulting cumulative rotation of the top person exceeds 1 rotation. (example: 1⁄2 up to liberty is legal)

b. Extended skills exceeding 1⁄2 and up to 1 twist must land in a two leg stunt.

Exception: Landing in a platform position is permitted. Platform position must be visibly held prior to hitting a single leg stunt.

Clarification: Any additional turn performed by the bases in the same skill set would be illegal if the resulting cumulative rotation of the top person exceeds 1 rotation. (example: full up to immediate liberty is illegal, full up to extension is legal)

This rule should have a major impact on Level 4. It makes it so you can 540 up to prep level only, unlike the 2010-11 season in which you could 540 up to extended level. It also makes it so full ups to extended position must be to 2 feet. 180 up to extended single leg stunts is still allowed.

Stunts F

No stunt, pyramid, or individual may move over or under another, separate stunt, pyramid or individual.

Example: shoulder sits walking under prep.

Exception 1: An individual may jump over another individual.

Exception 2: An individual may move under a stunt.

This rule change should have little impact on Level 4. It clarifies the only time a stunt, pyramid, or individual may pass over a separate stunt, pyramid, or individual is if an individual jumps over another individual. An individual may not push off the individual they are jumping over as they would if playing leap frog.

Stunts J

L4 Stunts-Release Moves

1. Release moves are allowed but must not exceed extended arm level. Exception: Cradles are allowed.

2. Release moves may not land in an prone or inverted position. When performing a release move from an inverted position to a non-inverted position, the bottom of the dip will be used to determine if the initial position was inverted.

3. Release moves must return to original bases. Clarification: An individual may not land on the performing surface without assistance.

4. Release moves that land in extended position must originate from ground-level and may not involve any twisting or flipping.

5. Helicopters are allowed up to a 180 degree rotation and zero twisting and must be caught by at least 3 catchers, one of which is positioned at head and shoulder area of the top.

6. Release moves may not intentionally travel.

7. Release moves may not pass over, under or through other stunts, pyramids or individuals.

This rule should have a very significant impact on Level 4 and created more separation between what is allowed in Level 4 versus Level 5. It makes it so low to high and high to high tick tocks are not allowed, but keeps switch ups legal. Twisting switch up are now only allowed to below extended position. It also allows release moves to prone position and helicopters.

2. Downward inversions are allowed at prep level or below and must be assisted by at least three bases, at least two of which are positioned to protect the head and shoulder area.

Clarification 1: The stunt may not pass above prep level and then become inverted at prep level. (The momentum of the top person coming down is the primary safety concern.)

Clarification 2: Catchers must make contact with the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area.

3. Downward inversions must maintain contact with an original base. Exception: In side rotating downward inversions Example: cartwheel-style transition dismounts, the original base may lose contact with the top person when it becomes necessary to do so.

This rule should have little impact as it just clarifies where the catchers must catch the top person.

Pyramids D

No stunt or pyramid may move over or under another separate stunt or pyramid.

Example: shoulder sits walking under prep

Exception 1: An individual may jump over another individual.

Exception 2: An individual may move under a stunt.

This rule change should have little impact on Level 4 and is almost the same as Stunts F. I’m not sure why this rule was also placed in pyramids since Pyramid A starts with “Pyramids must follow Level 4 “Stunts” and “Dismounts” rules”. I’m worried having this rule will cause confusion since it doesn’t say the exact same thing as Stunts F.

Pyramids G

L4 Pyramids-Release Moves w/ Braced Inversions

1. Pyramid transitions may involve braced inversions (including braced flips) while released from the bases if contact is maintained with at least 2 persons at prep level or below. Contact must be maintained throughout entire transition with either the top person(s) or the base(s).

Clarification: The bracers of the inverted top person must show a concerted effort to maintain contact throughout the entire transition until they are safely caught by the bases. Braced flips must be braced on two separate sides (i.e. right side-left side, left side -back side, etc…) by two separate bracers.

Clarification: Two Points of contact may not be on same appendage. (Example: two bracers on the same arm will no longer be permitted)

This rule should have a significant impact on Level 4. Flips must now be braced by people on separate sides holding onto different appendages. There were several Level 4 pyramids during the 2010-11 season that had flips braced by 2 people that were on the same side and holding on to the same arm of the top person. These are no longer allowed.

Dismounts A

Cradles from single based stunts must have a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.

This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.

Dismounts B

Cradles from multi-based stunts must have two catchers and a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.

This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.

Dismounts C

Dismounts to the performing surface must be assisted by an original base. Bases may not intentionally pop, move or toss an athlete to the performance surface. Straight drops or small hop offs, with no additional skills, from waist level or below are the only dismounts allowed to the performing surface that do not require assistance.

Clarification: An individual may not land on the performing surface from above waist level without assistance.

This rule change should have a significant impact. Teams were often called for not assisting the top person to the ground after doing a smoosh down from a stunt, but letting the top person go after getting them to the smoosh. It seemed this was done so the bases could get to their next spot quicker, but was called because the top wasn’t assisted to the ground. Teams were also often called on this in dances in which they performed a thigh stand and the top person jumped off or they performed a minor lift and let the top person go. This does not allow you to toss a person out of a cradle or allow a top person to take a big jump off a stunt.

Dismounts D

Up to a 2-1⁄4 twisting rotations allowed from all two leg stunts.

Exception: Twisting from a platform position may not exceed 1-1⁄4 rotation.

This rule should have a small impact. It treats platform position as a single leg stunt and limit the amount of twisting.

Dismounts F

No stunt, pyramid, individual, or, prop may move over or under a dismount, and a dismount may not be thrown over, under, or through stunts, pyramids, individuals, or prop.

This rule should have little impact. I haven’t seen many dismounts of this type.

Tosses H

Top persons in separate tosses may not come in contact with each other.

This rule should have little impact, but will stop high five baskets. This rule does not include the word “intentional” so please space your tosses properly.